Killing Sexual Sin by a Greater Satisfaction

Colossians 3:1-17

From Pastor James Coates in Edmonton Canada:

Bill C-4 passed through the House and the Senate without opposition. Not a single dissenting vote was cast by any member of the conservative party. It received Royal Assent on December 8, which means it will come into Law after January 8, 2022. The Bill will amend the Criminal Code in Canada to ban conversion therapy. It will criminalize, among other things, “causing another person to undergo conversion therapy; promoting or advertising conversion therapy.”...

The Bill defines conversion therapy as, “a practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth; repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior; repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.”

The definition is intentionally broad, and it can clearly be used against any preacher or elder who either speaks against homosexuality/transgenderism or who counsels a person to obey Christ and abandon their homosexual/transgender actions and lifestyle. This means as of January 8, 2022, it will be against the law to preach, teach, or counsel regarding God’s design for marriage and sexuality.

“Everyone who knowingly causes another person to undergo conversion therapy – including by providing conversion therapy to that other person – is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years.” Similarly, “Everyone who knowingly promotes or advertises conversion therapy is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years.”

Why are we surprised?

1 Peter 5:12-14,19- Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you…. Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Everything throughout the remainder of our time this morning is built on this central truth: your satisfaction in Jesus is the means by which you will walk in purity

What is biblical sexuality and what does conversion have to do with it?

1 man and 1 woman are joined together in a covenant union

Anything else simply is not marriage

All proper sexual desires and acts must be within the context of the marriage relationship

ANY sexual desire and act outside of marriage is sinful rebellion against God

We often focus on the ones that we find repulsive and give passes to others

We must not do this

Heterosexual sexual sin is open rebellion against God just as homosexual sexual sin is

Man is hopeless to live in sexual purity and godliness apart from faith

Without faith, it is impossible to please God

Sinful man cannot genuinely choose purity and righteousness because they are dead and darkened in their sin

Therefore, the Christian is the only person who can genuinely live in god-honoring sexual purity

We must strive to live in this Chirst-exalting purity

1 Peter 1:14-19- As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

What is the unbiblical sexual sin that must be turned away from?

The listed sins

Sexual immorality

Porneia- general word for all kinds of sexual sin

1 Corinthians 5:1- It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife.

Impurity

All unclean sexual thoughts

Ephesians 5:5- For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Passion

Lust, lustful desires

Romans 1:26- For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

Evil desire

The illicit sexual desires of the heart

Romans 13:14- But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Covetousness, which is idolatry

Greedy desire for more

This is speaking of sexual desire for that which is not yours

Ephesians 5:3- But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

We must put them to death (verse 5)

We have been made a new creation in Christ

Romans 8:13- For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Be satisfied in Christ, and the fleeting pleasures of sin will be seen as the deadly dung that they are

Put on, then, that which accords with who you truly are in Jesus

What is at stake in standing on and living out biblical sexuality?

The wrath of God is coming

God is blasphemed by these sins

Those who live in patterns of unrepentant sexual sin will go to hell

1 Corinthians 6:9-10- Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

If we cease to stand firm here, then we cease to stand firm on the gospel

If lost sinners aren’t warned about their hell-bound condition, then we will simply make them comfortable on the way to hell

Failure to live out faithful biblical sexuality fails to show the beauty of Christ

When Christians begin to cupitulate to the sexual norms of the culture, they cease to bear witness to the unblemished purity of the Savior

This not only includes physical acts, but also the way that we talk

We must stand firm because Christ is everything to us

Let us not bend an inch on what the Word teaching concerning sexuality

It might cost you something

Pray for our brothers in Canada who will preach this morning and conduct faithful ministry at risk of imprisonment

We must pursue purity and holiness

This is a fight which begins in the heart, therefore humble yourself and fight in the power of the Spirit

Plead with tears for those who are living in rebellion

We must put away the haughty, unloving deminor that pervades so much of American Christianity today toward those living in gross sexual sin

Love them so much that you would serve them in sacrificial love

Rather than sticking our noses up, we must love them by falling to our knees to plead for Christ to save them

Fill yourselves with the Word of God

We cannot hold a right view of God’s design of sexuality or walk uprightly in it if we are not saturated by His Word

Not only is it a light to guide us, but it is the Sword of the Spirit that we need to be weilding

May Christ be glorified as we pursue purity and holiness

May Christ be the central object of all that we do, and may He be glorified by the way that we live our lives